1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for reproducing medical images from image signals received from medical image signal feeding apparatuses, such as a computed radiography apparatus (CR apparatus) and an X-ray computed tomography scanner (X-ray CT scanner). This invention particularly relates to a medical image reproducing system wherein a single image reproducing and recording apparatus is used for a plurality of medical image signal feeding apparatuses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, in medical diagnosis facilities or medical research facilities, such as hospitals, reconstructed medical images of objects, such as projected images and tomographic images, are widely utilized in carrying out diagnoses or research. Image signals representing such medical images are fed out from various types of medical image signal feeding apparatuses, for example, CR apparatuses, X-ray CT scanners, magnetic resonance imaging apparatuses (MRI apparatuses), and ultrasonic diagnosis apparatuses. Image signals representing medical images are also fed out from image filing apparatuses for storing medical image signals, which have been received from such medical image signal feeding apparatuses, on storage media, such as optical disks In a large-scale hospital, ordinarily, a plurality of medical image signal feeding apparatuses are utilized.
By way of example, image signals, which have been fed out from medical image signal feeding apparatuses, are fed into an image reproducing and recording apparatus, such as a light beam scanning recording apparatus for scanning, for example, a photographic material with a light beam and recording an image, or into a CRT display device. The image signals are used in recording or displaying medical images as visible images.
In general, image reproducing and recording apparatuses, such as light beam scanning recording apparatuses, are more expensive than CRT display devices. Therefore, in cases where a plurality of medical image signal feeding apparatuses are utilized in a hospital, or the like, a single image reproducing and recording apparatus is utilized for the plurality of the medical image signal feeding apparatuses.
However, in general, the resolution, with which the picture elements in the image represented by an image signal fed out from a medical image signal feeding apparatus are arrayed, varies for different types and different manufacturers of medical image signal feeding apparatuses. (For example, the resolution is set to 10 pixels/mm in some medical image signal feeding apparatuses, and to 12.5 pixels/mm in others.) On the other hand, in general, in an image reproducing and recording apparatus, such as a light beam scanning recording apparatus, the resolution, with which the picture elements in a reproduced and recorded image are arrayed, is fixed. Such an image reproducing and recording apparatus cannot be utilized directly for all of a plurality of medical image signal feeding apparatuses among which the resolution, with which the picture elements in the image represented by an image signal fed out from a medical image signal feeding apparatus are arrayed, varies.
An image reproducing and recording apparatus, e.g. a light beam scanning recording apparatus, has been proposed wherein the resolution, with which the picture elements in a reproduced and recorded image are arrayed, can be changed in accordance with the scale of image enlargement or reduction. In cases where such an image reproducing and recording apparatus is used, the resolution, with which the picture elements in a reproduced and recorded image are arrayed, can be changed in accordance with the medical image signal feeding apparatus used. Therefore, a single such image reproducing and recording apparatus can be utilized commonly for a plurality of medical image signal feeding apparatuses among which the resolution, with which the picture elements in the image represented by an image signal fed out from a medical image signal feeding apparatus are arrayed, varies.
However, in such cases, considerable time and labor are required to change the resolution, with which the picture elements in a reproduced and recorded image are arrayed, in the image reproducing and recording apparatus by selecting a scale of image enlargement or reduction in accordance with the medical image signal feeding apparatus used.